Peter And The Wolf! – A Pantomime of Old Russia
About the Production
A pantomime drawing on all sorts of classic old Russian themes? Coming right up, comrade!
The villain of the piece is Grand Duchess Irina Bogovsky, whose personal vanity and quest for immortality has led her down a dark path, as only by sacrificing young peasant girls will she stave off her personal march of time. Against her is set the heroic, young, thigh-slapping principal girl, Pyotyr Pyotrovich, who must rescue her true love from the Duchess’s evil machinations.
Does Pyotyr stand a chance against the devilish Irina and her fiendish Cossack ally Ivan and his men?
Oh no, he doesn’t!
Oh yes, he does!
With Grandmother Masha by his side, and help from various over-sized and over-furry animals, Pyotr will trawl through an entertainingly curated collection of recognisable Russian folklore, from mad monks to Firebirds, rescue Dasha and free the motherland. With songs too!
That’s Theatre Workshop for you, always giving you plenty of bang for your rouble.
The Cast
Behind the Scenes
Image Gallery
The Reviews
Four stars awarded
Director Richard Lloyd brought so many Russian references into the script he has written for Theatre Workshop, the show groaned with them in true panto style.
Devised to include scenarios “borrowed” from traditional pantos, we found the grand duchess consulting her mirror (a very clever effect) over her beauty. Borrowing the Picture of Dorian Gray theme, the Duchess does not age as long as a young girl peasant is sacrificed, and this sub-plot underlies the main tale of a sinister wolf terrorising the small villages.
Peter Pyotrovich (a gung-ho Kimberley Argles) and his ‘Grandmother’ Masha (Mike Brown as a splendid Dame) lead a fistful of goodies and the show romps through its two hours and ten minutes. Tanya Allison brings elegant evil to the vain Duchess, with Howard Payne as her black-clad co-conspirator Ivan the Cossack Chief. Steve North and David Cawley provide knockabout comedy with a hidden secret as Cossacks Dribblesnitch and Stumpitch, while the chorus turn their hand to villagers, Cossacks and general townsfolk. Duck Molotov and cat Miska are two life-sized puppets who disperse wisdom from the safety of their wall, with poor Molotov set up as bait to catch the wolf. Luke Argles has a resonate voice as Kolyinka the wolf, wearing a wonderful head mask.
A flirty princess (Heidi Bush) and a student agitator (Peter Bird) add good cameo roles, with Lucy-Ann Martin as Peter’s sweetheart Dasha, Neil Grew as Disputin, the mad monk, and a Hooray Henry of a Captain (Chris Blakeney) complicating the tale further.
More Russian references come throughout from Musical Director Mark Taylor, and his excellent musicians and colourful costumes complete the Russian theme.
Theo Spring for The Croydon Advertiser, Friday December 19, 2003
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